Until recently Danny Friend was a relatively unknown tight end hiding in the shadow of more heralded prospects from the Midwest. Then everything changed with an offer from Oregon. That's the kind of spotlight the Ducks have the power to create nowadays.

There's little doubt that when Oregon offered the Morris (Ill.) tight end it was a game changer.

No, Morris is not committed to the Ducks, and no, he won't say Oregon is far and away his top choice. In fact he's staying pretty level-headed about things. He does admit, however, that it was a huge moment for him.

"They offered a week and a half ago or so," Friend said of Oregon. "The quarterbacks coach came through the school four or five weeks ago and I got to meet him. Then Coach Greatwood, the lineman coach, came through and watched me workout. I called him that following day and they offered.

"I was ecstatic to say the least. It was unbelievable to be recognized by a program of that caliber. Obviously Oregon is one of the top three or four teams in the nation and that's obviously one of the top things I'm looking for. It would be something different. I've always lived here in the Midwest. It would be great to experience something new, to get out and go somewhere else. It would also be amazing to play for someone like Chip Kelly."